Information system

Abstract

A computer implemented information system which arranges information according to types, members and associations wherein types group members with common attributes and wherein associations define relationships between types. The invention provides all the functionality of modern databases, spreadsheets and word processors all in the one program.

1 . A computer implemented information system which arranges information according to types, members and associations wherein types group members with common attributes and wherein associations define relationships between types.  
     
     
         2 . An information system according to  claim 1  wherein particular types have members which belong to that type and which store samples of information that have the attributes of that type.  
     
     
         3 . An information system according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein a type has one or more subtypes which have more narrowly defined attributes than the type.  
     
     
         4 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a types has a super-type which has less narrowly defined attributes than the type.  
     
     
         5 . An information system according to  claim 4  wherein the interrelation of the types, associations, members, sub-type and super-types defines a concept net.  
     
     
         6 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the system is adapted to be operated by users who are permitted to create, delete or modify members, types and associations.  
     
     
         7 . An information system according to  claim 6  wherein the degree to which specific users are permitted to create, delete or modify members, types and associations is governed by a range of security features.  
     
     
         8 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the information includes: 
 (a) data which represents particular samples of information stored by particular members; and    (b) logic which refers to types and associations in order to specify many aspects of the system's behaviour.    
     
     
         9 . An information system according to  claim 8  wherein the system presents data and logic to users via a user interface which includes a logic display and a data display.  
     
     
         10 . An information system according to  claim 9  wherein the logic display presents logic in a readily understood fashion and allows that logic to be modified by the user.  
     
     
         11 . An information system according to  claim 10  wherein logic in the logic display controls the presentation of data but does not allow that data to be modified by the user.  
     
     
         12 . An information system according to  claim 9  to  11  wherein logic in the data display controls the presentation of data in the data display and allows that data to be modified by the user.  
     
     
         13 . An information system according to  claim 12  wherein the data display presents the logic as well as the data but does not allow the logic to be modified by the user.  
     
     
         14 . An information system according to  claim 13  further including a logic interpreter which generates a stream of reference phrases and connection phrases from the logic, generates instance phrases from the data in the same stream and uses the stream to drive the user interface.  
     
     
         15 . An information system according to  claim 14  wherein the reference phrases correspond to associations, connection phrases correspond to types and instance phrases correspond to data about members.  
     
     
         16 . An information system according to  claim 15  wherein the logic and data displays present information in the order of: reference phrase, then connection phrase, then instance phrase.  
     
     
         17 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each type, member and association is allocated an internal identifier when it is created.  
     
     
         18 . An information system according to  claim 17  wherein the internal identifier is unique within the system.  
     
     
         19 . An information system according to  claim 18  wherein the internal identifier is: 
 (c) a 32 bit integer;  
 (d) a 64 bit integer; or  
 (e) a 128 bit integer.  
 
     
     
         20 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the majority of the information is physically stored in a pair of ordered stores.  
     
     
         21 . An information system according to  claim 20  wherein all of the information contained in one association is physically stored in two sorts of ordered stores.  
     
     
         22 . An information system according to  claim 20  or  claim 21  wherein one sort of the ordered stores is a high volume ordered store which includes a plurality of B-tree records.  
     
     
         23 . An information system according to any one of  claims 20  to  22  wherein the other sort of ordered store is a high speed ordered store which is distributed amongst a plurality of variable length data records each of which represents a single type, member or association and contains portions of all high speed stores which relate to its subject type, member or association.  
     
     
         24 . An information system according to any one of  claims 20  to  23  wherein most of the functionality of the system is provided by an executable file interacting with only two files, which correspond to the two sorts of ordered stores.  
     
     
         25 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims including a user interface which, when requested, assembles information into a presentation format.  
     
     
         26 . An information system according to  claim 25  wherein the presentation format includes a tabular presentation, a plot presentation, a textual presentation and a diagrammatic presentation.  
     
     
         27 . An information system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the system provides the capabilities of a word processor, a database and a spreadsheet program, all in the one program.  
     
     
         28 . An information system including: 
 (a) a Concept Net which is referenced by;    (b) a Universal Logic which provides data organised into Phrases for;    (c) a Logical External Interface which collects, formats and presents the data to Display Means.    
     
     
         29 . An information system according to  claim 29  wherein the Display Means can be acted upon by; 
 (d) a User Action System which provides an extensible set of user Operations which enable the user to enter and modify data in the Concept Net.  
 
     
     
         30 . An information system according to  claim 29  wherein the Concept Net is organised by one or more Types, Associations, Subtypes, Nested Types and/or Contained Types such that it can be directly referenced by the Universal Logic.  
     
     
         31 . An information system according to  claim 30  wherein the Concept Net is extendable and is without limit.  
     
     
         32 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  31  wherein the Universal Logic includes one or more Alternatives, References and/or Connections.  
     
     
         33 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  32  wherein the Universal Logic is sufficiently powerful to control all display, manipulation, calculation, access and decision making necessary for a wide variety of purposes.  
     
     
         34 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  33  wherein the universal logic presents data as connection phrases, reference phrases and instance phrases.  
     
     
         35 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  34  wherein the Logical External Interface collects, formats and presents data in accordance with Styles. More preferably, the Logical External Interface presents data to Display Means which include interactive windows, reports and external files.  
     
     
         36 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  35  wherein many of the Phrases of the interactive windows can be acted upon by the User Action System.  
     
     
         37 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  36  wherein all the Phrases of the interactive windows can be acted upon by the User Action System.  
     
     
         38 . An information system according to any one of  claims 28  to  37  wherein the User Action System provides an extensible set of user Operations which are available on many of the Phrases of the appropriate Type.  
     
     
         39 . An information system according to  claim 38  wherein the User Action System provides an extensible set of user Operations which are available on all of the Phrases of the appropriate Type.  
     
     
         40 . An information system according to  claim 39  wherein the user Operations are sufficient to productively enter and modify any data in the Concept Net and to extend the organisation of the Concept Net without limit.  
     
     
         41 . A computer implemented information system including a Concept Net which is organised so that it can hold sufficient information to: 
 (a) define itself;    (b) define user applications; and    (c) control the operation of the entire information system.    
     
     
         42 . An information system according to  claim 41  wherein the Concept Net defines itself using Types, Subtypes, Contained Types, Nested Types, Associations and/or Roles.  
     
     
         43 . An information system according to  claim 41  or  42  wherein the Concept Net defines user applications using Logic, Definition Types, Styles and/or Operations.  
     
     
         44 . An information system according to any one of  claims 41  to  43  wherein the Concept Net controls the operation of the entire information system including user applications.  
     
     
         45 . A method for organising a Concept Net so that it can hold all information necessary to: 
 (a) define itself—using Types, Subtypes, Contained Types, Nested Types, Associations and Roles;    (b) define user applications—using Logic, all the remaining system Definition Types, Styles, Operations; and    (c) control the operation of the entire information system including user applications.    
     
     
         46 . A computer implemented method for implementing a user interface covering all information contained in a Concept Net, which relies only on information within the same Concept Net and in which no programming or arbitrary human decisions are required  
     
     
         47 . A computer implemented method for intersecting on a Connection, based upon ordered storage.  
     
     
         48 . An information system according to  claim 47  further including Constraints.  
     
     
         49 . An information system according to  claim 48  wherein the Constraints specify a situation which must not be allowed to occur in the Concept Net.  
     
     
         50 . An information system according to  claim 49  wherein the system includes an efficient enforcement mechanism on insertion and deletion in Associations.  
     
     
         51 . An information system according to  claim 50  wherein the system includes a summary of all constraints that effect a particular Association.  
     
     
         52 . A method for clearly specifying a situation which must not be allowed to occur in the Concept Net (ie a Constraint) which leads by Transformation to an efficient enforcement mechanism on insertion and deletion in Associations and naturally results in a clear summary of all constraints that effect a particular Association.  
     
     
         53 . An information system as claimed in any of  claims 28  to  52  wherein Associations include Logical Associations and Enumerated Associations.  
     
     
         54 . An information system according to  claim 53  wherein the system BOTH allows a Logical Association to maintain a parallel Enumerated Implementation to save continual reWO interpretation AND which allows changes in one Enumerated Association to have consequential effects in another Enumerated Association.  
     
     
         55 . An information system according to  claim 54  wherein the Universal Logic undergoes Transformation resulting in one efficient effect mechanism and a clear summary of all the consequential effects of a particular Association.  
     
     
         56 . An information system which employs a method which BOTH allows a Logical Association to maintain a parallel Enumerated Implementation to save continual re-interpretation AND which allows changes in one Enumerated Association to have consequential effects in another Enumerated Association by allowing an Association to be both Enumerated and Logical.  
     
     
         57 . An information system according to  claim 56  wherein the Logic undergoes Transformation resulting in one efficient effect mechanism and a clear summary of all the consequential effects of a particular Association.  
     
     
         58 . A method for constructing an information system including: 
 (a) a Concept Net which is organised by Types, Associations, Subtyping, Nested Types and Contained Types such that it can be directly referenced by:    (b) a Universal Logic consisting of Alternatives, References and Connections sufficiently powerful to control all display, manipulation, calculation, access and decision making necessary for all business purposes and wherein the Logic provides data organised into Connection Phrases, Reference Phrases and Instance Phrases for:    (c) a Logical External Interface which (in accordance with Styles) collects, formats and presents the data to interactive windows, reports and external files; and wherein every phrase of the interactive windows can be acted upon by:    (d) a User Action System providing an extensible set of user Operations which are available on every Phrase of the appropriate Type, which are sufficient to productively enter and modify any data in the Concept Net and to extend the organisation of the Concept Net without limit.    
     
     
         59 . An information system according to  claim 24  wherein the two files are merged into one file.  
     
     
         60 . A computer implemented information system which arranges information according to instances wherein instances include numbers, ephemerals and things.  
     
     
         61 . An information system according to  claim 60  wherein things include formal references, text, roles, definitions, users, history and other user-created things.  
     
     
         62 . An information system according to  claim 61  wherein text includes words and links.  
     
     
         63 . An information system according to  claim 62  wherein words include characters.  
     
     
         64 . An information system according to  claim 61  wherein definitions include concepts, commands and logical definitions; and these definitions may be accessed via roles, each role involving a type; and these definitions may be referenced by the universal logic.  
     
     
         65 . An information system according to  claim 64  wherein concepts include types and associations and wherein these concepts are referenced in the logic of views and definition of other concepts.  
     
     
         66 . An information system according to  claim 65  wherein types include types of thing, contained types, simple subtypes, complex subtypes, quantities and numeric units.  
     
     
         67 . An information system according to  claim 64  wherein logical definitions include commands, views, constraints, defaults and naming views.  
     
     
         68 . An information system according to any one of  claims 60  to  67  wherein each thing is allocated an internal identifier when it is created.  
     
     
         69 . An information system according to  claim 68  wherein the internal identifier is unique within the system.  
     
     
         70 . An information system according to  claim 69  wherein the internal identifier is: 
 (f) a 32 bit integer;  
 a 64 bit integer; or  
 (h) a 128 bit integer.  
 
     
     
         71 . An information system according to any one of  claims 60  to  70  wherein the majority of the information is physically stored in a pair of ordered stores.  
     
     
         72 . An information system according to  claim 71  wherein all of the information contained in one association is physically stored in two sorts of ordered stores.  
     
     
         73 . An information system according to  claim 71  or  claim 72  wherein one sort of the ordered stores is a high volume ordered store which includes a plurality of B-tree records.  
     
     
         74 . An information system according to any one of  claims 71  to  73  wherein the other sort of ordered store is a high speed ordered store which is distributed amongst a plurality of variable length data records each of which represents a single thing and contains portions of all high speed stores which relate to its subject thing.  
     
     
         75 . An information system according to any one of  claims 71  to  74  wherein most of the functionality of the system is provided by an executable file interacting with only two files, which correspond to the two sorts of ordered stores.  
     
     
         76 . An information system whose logic can handle freely intermixed references to database concepts (using the implementation: enumerated), to numerical concepts (using the implementation: primitive) and to externals such as computer file system (using the implementation: primitive).  
     
     
         77 . An information system according to  claim 40  wherein the option exists for all display phrases to automatically be allocated a key stroke, the pressing of which will immediately move the cursor to the said display phrase.  
     
     
         78 . A method of ensuring the integrity of an information system being used by multiple simultaneous users which allows updates to cause cascading consequential effects while complying with any number of constraints.  
     
     
         79 . An information system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
     
         80 . A method of generating an information system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.